Lost Judgment

December 2021, Tokyo district court.

Akihiro Ehara stands accused of groping a woman on a crowded train. A bystander’s video footage of his attempt to flee the scene and subsequent apprehension is all over the news, and public outcry demands a maximum sentence.

“Three days ago, a dead body was found in an abandoned building in Yokohama. Have you identified it yet?” he proclaims as confusion cuts through the court room.